MYCORRHIZAL PLANTS AND FUNGI IN THE FOG-FREE PACIFIC COASTAL DESERT OF CHILE

The Chilean fog-free Pacific coastal desert, one of the driest deserti c regions of the world, is undergoing rapid rates of desertification a s a result of intensive agriculture, overgrazing and mining. There is an urgent need to document the mycorrhizal status of Chilean plants, a nd the role of the symbiosis in rehabilitation and preservation of spe cies diversity. Here we present one of the first reports on the mycorr hizal status of annual and perennial herbs and shrubs from this region . Plants were collected during 1991 when rainfall was close to or abov e the annual average, providing the opportunity to asses several rare plant species. The plants examined included endemic species and endang ered and rare geophytes. More than 90% of 38 species (19 families) wer e found to form exclusively arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associations. Six species of mycorrhizal fungi were isolated from the root zones of plants sampled, four of which are undescribed.